A call center is a place where calls from users, such as customers, are handled in support of an organization's activities. Organizations that provide a call center, such as companies that offer a service or a product, do so to provide assistance and information to customers of the service or product. A call center is staffed by people referred to as “agents,” to whom incoming calls from users are transferred.
In a call center, when a call is transferred to an agent, the agent is more efficient if a computer data screen that corresponds to customer information can be displayed automatically. The display of the screen is sometimes known as a “screen pop.” The displaying of the screen pop is orchestrated by what is known as “computer/telephony integration.”
Several system architectures are currently available to drive screen pops. FIG. 1 depicts a first telecommunications system 100 for a call center in accordance with the prior art. Telecommunications system 100 comprises telecommunications terminal 102, telecommunications network 103, private branch exchange 104, interactive voice response system 105, call center system 106, telecommunications terminal 107, computer/telephony integration server 108, computer system 109, personal computer 110, and private branch exchange 112, interconnected as shown.
In the architecture depicted by FIG. 1, a customer, depicted as user 101, uses telecommunications terminal 102 (e.g., a telephone, etc.) to call into a call center that is supported by call center system 106. The call is handled by telecommunications network 103, which connects terminal 102 with private branch exchange (or “PBX”) 104. Network 103 comprises one or more types of networks (e.g., Public Switched Telephone Network, etc.). Private branch exchange 104 supports call center system 106 and notifies call center system 106 of the call.
Call center system 106 directs private branch exchange 104 on how to handle the call. One possibility is that the call is passed first to interactive voice response (IVR) system 105, as directed by call center system 106. IVR system 105 provides interactive voice response capability, enabling user 101 to enter commands, either by talking or by selecting options using the keypad on terminal 102.
Call center system 106 selects the appropriate agent or call center to which to transfer the call, based in part on the input from user 101 if IVR system 105 is used. Call center system 106 provides its routing decision to private branch exchange 104. Based on the routing decision, private branch exchange 104 might transfer the call to telecommunications terminal 107, which is used by the agent depicted as user 111. Alternatively, private branch exchange 104 might transfer the call to private branch exchange 112, which supports a different call center than the one supported by call center system 106.
Computer system 109 maintains customer records that can be accessed and displayed by personal computer 110. The agent that receives the call, user 111, has previously logged into computer system 109 via personal computer 110, which enables the display of the screen pop. The agent has also logged into private branch exchange 104, which enables the receiving of the audio signal in the call. The agent logs into both devices, for example, when beginning a work shift.
The architecture of FIG. 1 relies on computer/telephony integration server 108 to coordinate the screen pop. Server 108 exchanges signals between private branch exchange 104 and computer system 109 to coordinate (i) the screen pop at personal computer 110 with (ii) the presentation of the call at telecommunications terminal 107. Essentially, private branch exchange 104 informs server 108 that a call is about to be transferred to a particular agent's terminal (i.e., telecommunications terminal 107). Server 108 then pushes the customer information to computer system 109 for the purpose of displaying the information on the same agent's personal computer (i.e., personal computer 110).
FIG. 2 depicts a second telecommunications system 200 for a call center in accordance with the prior art. Telecommunications system 200 comprises telecommunications terminal 102, telecommunications network 103, call center system 106, interactive voice response system 105, private branch exchange 204, telecommunications terminal 207, computer system 209, personal computer 210, and private branch exchange 112, interconnected as shown.
In the architecture depicted by FIG. 2, a customer, depicted as user 101, uses telecommunications terminal 102 (e.g., a telephone, etc.) to call into a call center. The call destination is determined and the call is transferred in essentially the same manner as depicted in FIG. 1.
In the architecture depicted in FIG. 2, private branch exchange 204 transfers the call, if directed to do so by call center system 106, to telecommunications terminal 207, which is the terminal of the agent depicted as user 211. Private branch exchange 204 uses a protocol that is understood by terminal 207, such as data control protocol (or “DCP”), to transmit the calling number and called number to terminal 207. Terminal 207 has a data communications link to personal computer 210. An example of terminal 207 is the AT&T PassageWay terminal, which is connectable to a computer through a serial communications link.
Computer system 209 maintains customer records that can be accessed and displayed by personal computer 210. The agent that receives the call, user 211, has previously logged into computer system 209 via personal computer 210, which enables the display of the screen pop. The agent has also logged into private branch exchange 204, which enables the receiving of the audio signal in the call. The agent logs into both devices, for example, when beginning a work shift.
The architecture of FIG. 2 relies on terminal 207 to coordinate the screen pop at personal computer 210 with the presentation of the call to user 211. In this architecture, terminal 207 pushes the calling number and called number information to personal computer 210 when the call is presented to user 211. User 211 then uses the information to access the customer record and display the screen pop.
There are several disadvantages that are associated with the architectures depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the architecture of FIG. 1, the screen pop often occurs on the agent's personal computer 110 before the speech signal of the call reaches the agent's telephone terminal 107, which can be confusing to the agent.
In the architecture of FIG. 2, there is no direct path from the telephony system to the computer system. Because terminal 207 only conveys the calling number/called number pair, it is therefore left up to the agent to determine which computer system (i.e., system 209 or another system) to log into to pull up the customer information. Also, the direct transfer of the call between a first agent and a second agent causes the connection with the screen to be lost; consequently, no screen pop occurs for the second agent.
Both architectures have further disadvantages in common. First, the agent must log into a computer system, in some cases to establish an agent identity that can be matched with a specific telephone terminal. Casual receivers of calls (e.g., resident experts, etc.) who do not log into computer systems cannot receive screen pops. Second, an organization might use more than one call center system because the organization has multiple locations or lines of business, or hosts a call center as an application service provider for more than one client. In these situations, the agent must either log into multiple computer systems simultaneously or the resident expert must decide which system to log into from one call to another.
These disadvantages of third-party call control increase the likelihood that the receiver of the call will handle the call (i) without a timely screen pop or any screen pop at all, and (ii) without the ability to access customer information. Consequently, the caller might receive service that is substandard or that is inconsistent with what can be offered by having a proper screen pop.
What is needed is a technique to coordinate the presentation of speech signals and screen images, to a receiver of a call, without some of the costs, disadvantages, and limitations of techniques in the prior art.